Arnold
Arnold is an aardvark who makes his first and only appearance in The Shiny Stones. Appearance Arnold is a portly creature with a round middle, plump legs, and a broad snout. Like most aardvarks, his claws are relatively long, and his ears are widely extended, colored a pale pink on the inside flaps. A bit odd for his species in looks, Arnold is very dark in color, his fur sleek and slate gray. The end of his snout is a lighter gray mixed with pink, and the tip of his tail is midnight black. His eyes match his fur almost perfectly, though they carry a slight tinge of chocolate brown. Personality Cheerful and thrifty, Arnold is a happy-go-lucky aardvark with a sunny disposition and an engaging personality. His good-natured jokes and playful jabs at background give his character a humorous edge, and his tactful acceptance of other creatures render him a kind and accepting character with little regard for apparent differences. Despite his thriftiness, Arnold appears to be somewhat obsessive-compulsive, as he likes things to be done a certain way and in a certain order. His warren is said to be very neat, and he makes a point of warning others to keep it that way. He also has a special set of rules he expects guests to follow, the first of which is to keep his warren neat, and the second to pitch in with hunting. In this way, Arnold is fair, not keen to be overly-kind, but not at all unjust. Even though he is known for being friendly and warm, Arnold does not take well to too much affection. He gets somewhat uncomfortable at too much physical contact, even light hugs, and whines good-naturedly about "lovey-dovey stuff." However, when in the presence of his good friends, he is prone to softening and displaying a more tolerable reaction to outward affection. He makes strong friendships and will be more inclined to accept the affections of those he knows and trusts. Information Backstory Arnold lives in a self-dug warren within or close by the jungle. It is unknown if he lives within the boundaries of the jungle or in a surrounding area. [[The Hakuna Matata Magazine Series|The Hakuna Matata Magazine Series]] When they first meet, Timon mistakes Arnold for a cape dog. Although the meerkat attempts to give himself up to the teeth of the beast, Arnold laughs and cheerfully reveals himself to be a harmless aardvark. So relieved is Timon that Arnold is not a cape dog that the meerkat flings himself at the stranger and gives him a sloppy kiss on the cheek. After exchanging introductions, Arnold learns of Timon's quest to find larger shiny stones and is forced to tell the meerkat that the stones had been extracted years earlier by parrots. Disheartened but still relieved at being alive, Timon takes the news well and accepts Arnold's offer to travel to the aardvark's warren. Along the way, Timon's sack rips, and a good portion of the shiny stones fall out. When Arnold points this out to Timon, the meerkat admits that he had not noticed the load lighten as they walked. Upon reaching Arnold's warren, the aardvark explains the rules of the joint to Timon. Guests are to keep the warren clean, pitch in with hunting chores, and, as a joke, give Arnold the juiciest bugs of the catch. The two descend into a happy period of spending time together, helping each other with chores, and decorating the warren with the remainder of Timon's stones. A bit later, however, Pumbaa and Simba come searching for their friend, and Arnold is forced to part from the meerkat. As a gift, Timon leaves the stones behind, and Arnold offers a rare hug to the meerkat before he leaves. Quotes References Category:Aardvarks Category:Animals Category:Characters Category:Magazine Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Non-Movie Characters Category:Semi-Canon Characters